Lifecoach: Do I need to cut down on salt?

Our experts advise readers on whether they should cut down on salt down on
salt in their diet.

Cutting down on salt can prevent high blood pressurePhoto: ALAMY

4:00PM GMT 14 Nov 2011

I’ve been trying to cut back on salt to keep healthy in my later years, so have switched to a low-salt diet. Feeling unwell for a month or more, I saw our GP who, after blood tests, found that I had low sodium levels. I switched back to my original diet, sprinkling salt on all meals, and this seems to have stopped the problem. With the recent confusing reports on salt intake, should we not be dramatically cutting down our consumption now? I have a history of heart disease in the family.

AH, London

A DAN RUTHERFORD WRITES:

High blood pressure is virtually unknown in those few populations left whose natural diet is low in (sodium) salt. The link between high blood pressure and high dietary salt is not in doubt, and these recent studies do not contradict this knowledge. They do, however, highlight that individuals differ in their degree of salt tolerance.

It is certain that a huge proportion of the UK population eats much more salt than they need and that their kidneys spend a lot of time pumping out the excess into their urine.

People who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure should consider themselves salt-sensitive and likely to benefit from moderating their salt intake. Those with naturally very good blood pressure can be more liberal, but it’s worth remembering that what we currently consider to be “good” levels of blood pressure are much higher than is normal in very low salt-eating populations.

The biggest difficulty is that for many people, most of the salt in their diet is added to the food products they buy during the manufacturing process. Cutting salt is very difficult if it is already in the tin, packet or loaf. Lowering salt is definitely a good idea for all of us, but do it gradually, over weeks, if you are used to a high intake. That way your body can adjust to the new level without you temporarily feeling “salt-deprived”.

A SARA STANNER WRITES:

As you will have picked up from all the recent headlines, there are different views within the scientific community about the degree to which cutting back on salt, particularly if you have normal blood pressure, will reduce your risk of heart disease.

Whenever controversial findings crop up, it is important that they are debated, but there is good evidence that lowering our salt intake can reduce blood pressure and the World Health Organisation, as well as government guidelines around the world, suggest that we should be trying to cut back on salt.

In the UK, the recommendation is for adults to consume less than 6g of salt per day – and most of us are consuming significantly more (around 9g). Despite what you may have read recently, there is no evidence that cutting your salt intake to this level will have any long-term detrimental health effects.

Although the body needs a small amount of sodium to function, too much of it can raise blood pressure and increase risk of heart disease and stroke. As well as cutting back on sodium, eating plenty of fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and fish will help: they contain potassium which encourages your body to remove fluid, lowering your blood pressure. Studies have suggested that the ratio of sodium to potassium in a person’s urine is a better indicator of their risk of heart disease in later life than simply looking at either level on their own.

So-called gourmet salt, sea salt and rock salt contain much the same amount of sodium, so are no healthier. There are salt substitutes available that offer the taste without the sodium (some also contain potassium). But it would be preferable, if you can, to encourage a less salty palate by using lemon juice, garlic and more herbs and spices for flavouring.

Q I’m in my mid-thirties. I never seem to feel thirsty, and as a result I forget to drink water (I do drink tea and coffee). I could quite easily go all day without feeling the need to drink anything else. Could something be wrong with me?

Beryl Blenkinsop

A DAN RUTHERFORD WRITES:

No, there’s nothing wrong with you. Thirst is a powerful sensation that will be employed by the body if necessary, so if you don’t feel thirsty, then you are taking enough fluids. Although caffeine does have a slight diuretic effect, you are clearly drinking enough volume to satisfy most of your fluid intake needs. Remember also that foods have a water content – most fruits and vegetables are about 80 per cent water, for example, and it all counts.

The colour of your urine is a fair guide to whether you are drinking enough – it should be clear or light yellow. If, however, it looks like well-brewed tea, your kidneys are working overtime to keep as much water in your body as possible, so do yourself, and your kidneys, a favour and make a point of increasing your water intake.

A SARA STANNER WRITES:

You may not feel thirsty during the day simply because you are sufficiently hydrated. The general guideline is to drink six to eight glasses of fluid each day, but different people need different amounts. Our needs change as we age and depend on the time of year, climate and changes to diet and levels of physical activity.

Don’t wait to feel thirsty before drinking, because this means you are letting your body slip into a mild state of dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration include a dry mouth, sleepiness, muscle weakness, headache, dizziness or lightheadedness.

When choosing drinks, consider their energy and sugar content, too.

A TONY GALLAGHER WRITES:

Our bodies are quite successful at going without liquids for a reasonable amount of time. It may be that your need for fluids is not as great as others’. People who exercise for 30 minutes are supposed to drink about 150ml (5fl oz) of fluid post-exercise, but this is affected by how much they sweat.

People often feel hunger pangs when they are, in fact, thirsty. Try drinking a pint of water and then see if you are still hungry. If, however, you find there is a quick, unexplained change in your thirst levels, consult your GP.

Q What is the best type of running shoe to buy? Are lightweight ones better than the more cushioned type?

CS, Edinburgh

A TONY GALLAGHER WRITES:

There is a bit of a debate about traditional running shoes with lots of cushioning versus the newer minimalist styles. The latter enables the runner to use more of his or her own foot and leg muscles than in a traditional shoe. Being a new runner to long distances, it is probably better to start with buying a traditional type of shoe after having a gait analysis at a decent running shop (such as Runner’s Need, runnersneed.com).

SORE THROATS

Sara Stanner is absolutely right when she says lemon tea with honey helps with sore throats [Life, October 16]. I regularly bought lemon tea from supermarkets and added honey and it worked. Then came the “new and improved” lemon tea with added ginger. Ugh! Now my wife prepares her own version of lemon tea, which, I may say, is superb.

Peter J Smith, Croydon

I used to suffer constantly with sore throats and always had throat pastels by the bed. One day it occurred to me that I sleep with the bed clothes drawn right up almost covering my face and breathing in my own hot exhaled breath.

I now tuck the bedclothes under my chin, breathing in fresh air, and hardly ever suffer with a dry throat. Our odd little habits can sometimes unwittingly be the cause of our own ailments.